It is a common remark of Japanese philosophers, applying Western
science to their Eastern histories, that filial affection is unknown
to the beasts, and the last feeling to develop in spiritual evolution,
and consequently the first to deteriorate. That is how they have been
known to explain the moral inferiority of Western civilisation; for,
as lawyers, on legal-political questions, do always--of course in a
perfectly honourable manner--adapt their legal principles to their
politics, so do philosophers, unconsciously, shape theories to suit
their national prejudices. Why not? A man whose trade is words can
find reasons for anything; but a man who cares for nothing but the
truth soon learns not to theorise beyond his knowledge.
However, I never quarrel with anybody, least of all with the
philosophers. They can either stretch their theory, or else say
Charlie was not a beast. One or other of these two things they must
do, when they know how she convinced her sceptical master that she
loved as a dutiful child and was utterly devoted to the lady who had
received and fed and protected her--master's wife. A little girl who
risks her life for her stepmother is sure to be well furnished by
nature with filial piety.
Many were the experiments made to test this, as soon as time enough
had elapsed to let filial affection germinate in Charlie, if the germ
of it were in her. My wife had long been sure of it, but I was
doubting yet, when an indisputable experiment settled the question in
Charlie's favour, and so, perhaps, gave her a place in history.
By the happiest of inspirations, one morning, my wife began crying and
sobbing while Charlie was still within hearing, at the other end of
the house but not yet outside the eaves. "Pretend to slap me," she
said, "and make a noise."
I obeyed, and Charlie heard. Swift as a flash, she reappeared on the
partition wall, between the bedroom and the dressing-room, and moving
restlessly upon it, with arms now and then uplifted in distress, she
"Oo-oo-oo-ed" at the top of her voice, and made hideous grimaces at
me, and uttered guttural grunts we had never heard before, quite
German or Pathan in accent, noises that seemed to emanate from the
deepest depths of her being.
By the help of a mirror, I could see her without directly looking at
her. Finding threats and expostulations unheeded, she took a leap of
more than two yards, and landed on the curtain poles of the bed. I
could not then pretend not to see her; but, to her horror, I heeded
her no more than before. Then she made another big leap, and landed on
my shoulders, and, as I felt before I felt her feet, clapped a hand
upon each eye. If it had been serious fighting, as she believed it
was, she might have had my eyes out before I was aware of her
movement--so quick was she, "like a needle." At least, she could have
blinded me for the moment--at the probable cost of her life. She had,
in fact, in her desperation, for my wife's sake, ventured to try the
identical feat that Ulysses practised on the cannibal monster
Polyphemus, whom he blinded in his cave. If one reflects that she
could hardly have weighed a stone, and the man she attacked was
rather above than below the average of men in size and weight, one
cannot refuse to her the praise that properly belongs to a
Jack-the-Giant-Killer or tricky Ulysses.
That she was generally timid, as was natural for her size and sex,
merely clenches the argument about her filial feeling. Say, if you
like, that it was excitement, half-hysterical, that did it. What
caused the excitement but her devotion?
Luckily for myself, I had been watching her closely. My hands were on
her little wrists in a moment, and no harm was done; and my wife's
caresses soon composed her.
I would gladly have repeated the experiment oftener than was allowed,
which was only after long intervals about twice; and on every such
occasion, the whole drama was rehearsed, the small spontaneous
performer never failing to make her death-defying leap. And every time
she did it, she was rewarded not with tit-bits only, but with what
children dearly love, a pleasant sight. My wife thrashed me. Then
Charlie laughed. She rolled from side to side, as she sat on the
partition wall, as if "unable to contain herself." She "Oo-oo-oo-ed"
approval, and danced for joy.